Thursday 29 Shevat – In a Heartbreaking Funeral, the Bibas Family Laid to Rest After Being Murdered by Hamas Terrorists

Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his call for a US security guarantee in Ukraine to deter Vladimir Putin from invading again, as he prepares to meet Donald Trump.

Speaking on the plane to Washington DC, Sir Keir said he hopes the UK-US relationship could go from “strength to strength”

But the two leaders appear to be at odds over the importance of US security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any peace deal there.

Sir Keir said discussions about potentially sending British troops to Ukraine were ongoing but he re-emphasised his belief in the importance of a so-called US “backstop”.

Asked what form he believed this backstop should take, he said: “Exactly what the configuration of that is, exactly what the backstop is, is obviously the subject of intense discussion but I’m not going to get ahead of myself on it, other than to say I’m very clear about what the principles are.”

In contrast, Trump has said: “I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond very much.

“We’re going to have Europe do that, because we’re talking about Europe as the next door neighbour.”

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Donald Trump has announced he plans to slap 25 per cent tariffs on imports from the European Union (EU) into the US.

The US President slammed the European trading bloc, claiming it was set up to “screw” America, and had “done a good job of it but now I am President”.

His comments came as UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is on a plane to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump since he reentered office in January.

Speaking during his first cabinet meeting in the White House, Trump was asked by reporters whether he still planned to put 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada, despite a drop in migrant crossings, and he said: “I’m not stopping the tariffs, no.”

Trump added: “April 2, the tariffs go on… not all of them but a lot of them. And I think you’re gonna see something that’s gonna be amazing.”

He also told the meeting, attended by billionaire advisor and Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, that he had taken a “decision” on tariffs on the EU.

The US President said: “We have made a decision, we’ll be announcing it very soon. It will be 25 per cent generally speaking and that all be on cars and all other things.

“The EU is a different kind of case than Canada, they’ve really taken advantage of us in a different way.

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Rabbi Aryeh Chala zt”l, father of 15 

More than 10,000 people accompanied the Bibas family—Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir – HY”D to their final resting place today. The three were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists while being held hostage in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

At the family’s request, the funeral itself was closed to the public. However, from the moment their bodies were retrieved in Rishon Lezion until their burial in southern Israel, over 10,000 people lined the roads, accompanying the funeral procession.

Thousands of Israelis stood on roadsides holding Israeli flags and orange symbols—representing the family’s signature red hair—while reciting Tehilim and Kadish, and shouting, “We’re sorry.” In an emotional eulogy, released hostage and father Yarden said to his murdered wife:
“Who will help me make decisions now? How am I supposed to make decisions without you? Do you remember our last decision in the shelter? I asked you, ‘Do we fight or surrender?’ You said, ‘We fight.’ So I fought. Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. If I had known what would happen, I wouldn’t have fired. I think of everything we’ve been through together, and there are so many good memories. Please stay close to me—don’t go too far.”

Yarden also eulogized his young children:
“Ariel, I hope you’re not angry at me for not being able to protect you properly, for not being there for you. I hope you know I thought about you every day, every minute. I hope you’re enjoying Gan eden, and I’m sure you’re making all the angels laugh.”

To his youngest son, Kfir, he said:
“I never thought our family could be more perfect, and then you came along and made it even more so. I remember during your birth, the midwife suddenly stopped, and we panicked, afraid something was wrong—but she only stopped to tell us, ‘You have another redhead!’ Your mother and I laughed with joy.”

The bodies believed to be of four hostages kidnapped by Hamas-led terrorists and held captive in Gaza for over 16 months were returned to Israel early Thursday in a nighttime handover devoid of macabre theatrics that had punctuated previous handovers.

In exchange for the remains of the four slain hostages, Israel agreed to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners whose releases had been held up by anger in Jerusalem over Hamas’s handling of previous handovers, though statements from Israeli and Palestinian officials left unclear whether all the detainees would be released simultaneously as sought by Hamas.

The transfer, the last of the multi-phased ceasefire’s initial stage, began late Wednesday night, when the Red Cross headed to the handover site in the Gaza Strip. After receiving the coffins, the Red Cross transferred them to the Israel Defense Forces, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said early Thursday morning.

The Israeli Air Force announced Wednesday that it struck a “central terrorist” in Hezbollah’s Unit 4400, which is responsible for transporting and smuggling Iranian weapons into Lebanon.

The strike in the al-Qusayr area of northern Lebanon came after the operative “repeatedly violated” the current ceasefire, including being involved in weapons smuggling to the Iran-backed terror group.

The military said that the Hezbollah operative was attacked “while planning more smuggling.”

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